Extensible picture-frame.



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BXTENSIBLE PICTURE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.5. 1907.

A TTOHNEYS sums Patins ca, wAsmucToN. u. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

`IAMES A. WATT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ALEXANDER WILLIAM WATT, OFWILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXTENSIBLE PICTURE-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed September 5, 1907. Serial No. 391,458.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, JAMES A. WATT and ALEXANDER WILLIAM WATT, bothsubjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents, respectively, ofthe city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State ofNew York, and of l/Vilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Extensible Picture-Frame,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to picture frames.

The object of the invention is to produce an extensible frame of simpleconstruction, which may be conveniently used by artists for temporarilymounting a canvas within a frame in order to observe the resultingeffect.

The invention is expected to be most useful in studios, for the purposementioned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction whichwill insure a high degree of rigidity inthe frame when extended, and toconstruct the frame so that it will present the same ornamentalappearance when extended as when in its contracted condition.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims. V

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a frame embodying our invention, aportion of one of the rails being broken away and shown in section, asviewed on line 1-1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation showing acorner of the frame upon an enlarged scale, certain parts being brokenaway and shown in section; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a partial cross section taken on the line 4 4 ofFig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the body of theframe which is formed of four rails 2, having permanent miter joints 3.The rails 2 are divided into two sections 4 and 5, of equal length. Vhenthe frame is in its unextended or closed position, such as thatindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the end faces of these rail sections 4 and 5substantially abut against each other on a central axis of the frame, asindicated in Fig. 1. The rail sections 4 and 5 are adapted to slide inand out of sleeves or sheaths 6 which are arranged as shown in Fig. 1,there being one in connection with each of the rails 2. These sheathsare preferably formed of light sheet metal, as indicated in Fig. 3, andare pressed or molded so as to conform closely to the molding or form ofthe rail. The rails 2 are provided with longitudinally disposed undercutguide grooves 7 as indicated most clearly in Fig. 4. These grooves areformed in the rail sections 4 and 5 so that they aline and produce acontinuous longitudinal groove extending from end to end of the railwhen the rail sections come together in the collapsed position of theframe, as indicated in Fig. 1. In each of the grooves 7 there isprovided a guide bar S which substantially lills the groove, as shown inFig. 4. These guide bars extend across the meeting oint or joint of therail sections, and have inc ined mitered end faces 9 which are adaptedto abut against each other at the miter joint 3 when the frame iscontracted.

Near the middle point of each of the guide bars S, a rudimentary case 9,of sheet metal, is attached, and at this oint a pivot screw 10 extendsupwardly through the case from the guide bar, as indicated most clearlyin Fig. 3. l/Vithin the rudimentary case 9 through which the pivot screw10 passes, a pinion 11 is rotatably mounted. By reason of the factthat'the guide groove 7 is undercut, as shown in Fig. 4, oppositelydisposed tongues l2 are formed, which project inwardly above the slot.Above these tongues an outer guide slot 13 is formed, of substantiallythe same width as the guide slot 7. In one aspect, the slots 7 and 13may be considered as one slot, having an inwardly projecting tongue oneach side thereof, as shown. In the outer slots 13 we provide extensionracks 14 and 15, as indicated in Fig. 2. These racks have the formindicated in Fig. 1; each consists of an elongated bar, one end of whichis attached to one of .the rail sections, while the other end projectsinto the slot of the op osite rail section. The bodies of these gulderacks are formed with narrow guide slots 16, and these extendsubstantially one-half of the length of the bar, as shown in Fig. 1. Theportions of the bars which project into the opposite rail, are providedwith enlarged pinion slots 17. The outer side of one of these pinionslots is provided with rack teeth 18, as shown in Fig. 1, and the innerside of the other rack bar is provided with similar vthe pinion slotsscoped rack bars, and each of these pinions is i as indicated in Fig. 3.lforward edge of the canvas or picture is.

11, the pinion slot of one rack exten ng in one direction from thepinion, while the pinion slot of the other rack extends in the oppositedirection. The bodies of the'rack bars are rigidly attached to thetongues 12' by means of suitable screws y20, as indicated most clearlyin Fig. 2. :At the corners of the frame on the rea side, corner platesor pallets 21 are attached,

so as to cover the fixed ends of the racl; bars,

as shown. As indicated iii-Fig. 2, the rack -barsnear the meeting pointsof the rail sections, arer additionally secured by longitudinallydisposed clips 22 which are recessed in the rear faces of the railsections. The guide bars 8 are providedwith outwardly extendingclampingbolts 23 which pass through the slots 16 respectively, being disposedbeyondthe end of the opposing rack.

On'the rear faces of the rails, we provide cover plates or boards 24,there being one cover plate disposed at each joint. The clamping bolts23 project outwardly through these cover plates, and are provided withwing nuts 25 which screw down upon rest seats 26` on the outer side ofthe cover plate and near each end thereof. To these cover plates,preferably at the outer edges thereof,

the sheaths 6 aforesaid, are attached. It will now be understood thatthe pinions lllie in of the overlapping or telepivotally mounted uponits corresponding guide bar 8. When the frame is extended, asthe railsections 4 andv5 separate, the pinion rotates, so that the guide bar 8is vmaintained in a mid position longitudinally of the rail in this waythe sheaths or sleeves 6 are all maintained in a mid position on theircorresponding rails. When the frame vhas been sufficiently extended, thewing nuts 25 are screwed up so as to clamp the rail sections rigidlyupon the guide bars 8.

On the inner sides of the rails, projecting metal strips 27 areprovided, around which the inner portions of the sleeves 6 are formed,

seated when the picture is placed in the 'ame, and the picture may beheld in position by turn buttons 28 mounted near the inner edges of thecover plates 24, as indicated.

Special attention is called to the guiderbar 8. This bar gives a greatrigidity to the extended and clamped frame, and insures that when theframe is being extended, the rails von the opposite sides will be guidedin -abso- 'lute parallelism,

and so that they extend an equal amount simultaneously. This is aAgainst this part the:

valuable feature, as it prevents any tendency of the frame to jamzitselfin being extended or contracted. Special attention is called, also, tothe fact that as the rails are extended, thepinion 11 constantlymaintains itself in a mid position between the separated rail sections,and in this way the sleeves 6 are maintained in mid positions. In thisway the symmetry and ornamental appearance of f the fname is in no waydetracted from, whether the frame is in its contracted or its extendedposition.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

l. A picture frame having'rails formed in sections adapted to beextended, sheaths covering the joints between said rail sections,wheels-having pivots fixed'with respect to said sheaths, and rackscarried by saidrail sections engaging said wheels on lopposite sideswhereby' said sheaths are maintained in a mid position on the-respectiverails'when extended.

2. A picture fraineihaving rails formed in extensible sections, sheathscovering the joints between said rail sections, racks carriedrespectively by said rail sections, pinions having pivots fixed withrespect vto said sheaths, said pinions meshing with said racks andaffording means for holding said sheaths in mid position on saidrailswhen extended, and means 'independent of said sheaths for guidingsaid rail sections in being extended. A

3. A picture frame having rails formed in sections adapted to-beextended, guide bars mounted in said rails adaptedto guide said sectionswhen being extended, sheaths covering thejoints between saidrailsections, pinions having pivots fixed with respect to said sheaths, andracks carried by said1 rails meshing with opposite sides of saidpinions.

4. A pictureframe having rails formed in sections adapted tobe extended,gui'de'bars mounted to slide in said rail sections and y vracks carriedrespectively'by said rail sectionsfand pinions mounted'on said guide`bars and engaging said racks.

5. A picture-frame havingrails formed in sections adapted to beiextended, guide bars mounted to slide in said rail sections andadapted-to guide the same in being extended, racks carried respectivelyby saidv rail-sections, pinions mounted on said guideibars and`engaging-said racks, and 4sheaths attached to said guide bars andcoveringthe joints betweenA the said rail sections.

6. A picture frame having railsforined in sections adapted to'beextendedand having alining guide grooves guide bars received in said' groovesconnecting said rail sections and adapted to guide the same whenextended, racks carried by said rail sections respectively, and pinionspivotally attached to said guide bars.

7. A icture frame having rails formed in extensib e sections, a guidebar connecting said sections and sliding in.the same, racks carriedrespectively by said rail sections, inions pivotally mounted on saidguide ars meshing with said racks and affording means for holding saidguide bars in mid position on said rails, and means for clamping saidguide bars to said rail sections.

8. A icture frame having rails formed in extensib e sections withundercut guide grooves, guide bars running in said guide grooves, rackscarried by said rail sections and concealed therein, pinions pivotallymounted on said guide bars and meshing with said racks, and means forclamping said guide bars against said rail sections.

9. A picture frame having rails formed in extensible sections, guidemembers sliding in said sections When extended, racks carried by saidsections and having pinion slots formed therein overlying each other,said racks each having rack teeth, the rack teeth of the one beingdisposed opposite the rack teeth of the other, pinions attached to saidguide members disposed in said slots and meshing with said teeth, andmeans for clamping said frame against enlargement or contraction.

10. A picture frame having rails formed in extensible sections, saidrails having guide grooves with inwardly projecting tongues on the sidesthereof, guide bars running in said grooves under said tongues, racksattached respectively to said rail sections in said grooves over saidtongues, said racks overlying each other, pinions attached pivotally tosaid guide bars and meshing with said racks to maintain said guide barsin mid position, and clamping bolts passing up through said guide barsand affording means for clamping the same.

In testimony Whereoi1 We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. WATT. ALEXANDER WILLIAM WATT.

Witnesses to the signature of James A. Watt:

F. D. AMMEN, EVERARD B. MARSHALL.

Witnesses to the signature of Alexander W. Watt:

RICHARD F. l/VoRRALL, LENA M. CoLvIN.

